Did you know that there are 98 different species of bee in Ireland? The honeybee counts as one and then there are 97 wild bee species including 20 bumblebee species and 77 solitary bee species. A common assumption is that honeybees are under threat - in fact they are thriving. It is the wild bees that are the worry.
In Ireland we have three very rare bumblebees that are almost extinct - the Shrill carder bee, the Great yellow bumblebee and the Red shanked carder bee. For these bees to survive we need to preserve their habitats, increase their food supply and lessen the amount of chemicals used in nature.
More information on the Biodiversity Ireland website here.
Image from “Art by Tereska”